[DeTomaso] Vintage racing mention

[MDBell]

The red #77 Pantera shown in the Hemmings article belongs to Space City
Pantera alum Tom Upton.  Tom races the Pantera very competitively in CVAR,
along with a GT class tube-frame, plastic body Mustang.  Both cars are
ferociously fast - Tom hits 175mph on the TWS front straight in the Pantera.


Once upon a time at a TWS track event Tom and I, both in Panteras, ended up
briefly assigned to the same run group for some silly reason.  During one of
the first few laps, I was diving down off the banking at the end of the TWS
front straight at 135 mph, driving as absolutely hair-on-fire as I could
muster, wondering how I could possibly slow the car enough to make the left
hand sweeper that was quickly approaching.  My concentration was suddenly
broken by the roar of a Space Shuttle launch as Tom slammed #77's
accelerator pedal to the floor.  It just happened that Tom was entering the
same straightaway that I was leaving, but more than 1/2 mile behind me.
Wohhhh, WHAT WAS THAT?????, all while performing an impromptu Driving Miss
Daisy impersonation (the old mash the gas and brake at the same time thing).
Somehow I was able to negotiate the sweeper in spite of myself and stay on
the pavement, but I could hear Tom coming.  In less than half a lap Tom
blasted past at full throttle, rocking my Pantera in a shockwave of sound
and fumes.  

Absolutely intoxicating! 

One of my favorite track memories.  Tom is the original 'Fast and Loud' guy.



Dave Bell  (loves the smell of napalm in the morning)


-----Original Message-----
From: detomaso-bounces at poca.com [mailto:detomaso-bounces at poca.com] On Behalf
Of Tom Shinrock
Sent: Thursday, March 7, 2013 10:10 AM
To: detomaso at poca.com
Subject: [DeTomaso] Vintage racing mention

Reading today's Hemmings blog on how to pick a vintage race car suggested a
Pantera was not for novices

http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/2012/06/05/how-to-choose-a-car-for-vintag
e-racing/?refer=news

Tom
5186
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